1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for intermittently, one-by-one supplying ring-shaped members made of thin plates of soft synthetic resin or the like. More particularly, the invention is directed to an apparatus for intermittently, one-by-one supplying, ring-shaped opening members for braking open a covering panel member for an easy open type can closure
2. Description of Background Art
As for an easy open type can closure, there has been hitherto proposed known various conventional closures for hermetically containing substances such as milk, coffee or materials to be maintained in a moisture free environment. One such closure, for example, is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration Application Publication No. Sho 57-177937. The easy open type can closure disclosed in the Japanese Application, comprises, as shown in FIG. 7, a closure main body A and a ring-shaped opening member c adhered to a covering panel member b of the closure main body A. The closure main body A is composed of an outline formed circular frame a made of a metallic plate such as a tin plate or the like and the panel member b comprising a lamination of an aluminium foil and a thermoplastic synthetic resin layer. The ring-shaped opening member c is provided with a holdable tab member d projecting into a circular opening surrounded by an outer part e thereof, and the tab member d has a central hole f for opening the can closure. The ring-shaped opening member b is pulled outwards by holding the tab member d with an individual's finger positioned in the central hole f and thereby the panel member b is broken open along the shape of the ring-shaped opening member b and is removed.
For manufacturing the can closure of the above type, an apparatus can be constructed and provided with a storage means for storing a large number of flexible ring-shaped members c stacked in layers and supporting them in such a manner that the lowermost one thereof is held by plural engaging members. A takeout means could be provided for drawing out the lowermost one of the stacked ring-shaped members c in the storage means by suction for separating the ring-shaped member from the remaining members and for transferring it to a conveying passage in order to be thereafter attached to the panel member b of the closure main body A.
In order to manufacture the can closures of this type at a high efficiency by using the above described apparatus, a problem arises in that when the stacked ring-shaped members in the storage means are taken out one-by-one by suction applied by the takeout means, it often happens that plural ring-shaped members are simultaneously dropped onto the conveying passage because of the flexibility or pliability of the ring-shaped members. In other words, it is difficult to take out the ring-shaped members from the storage means one-by-one accurately or reliably and position the members onto the conveying passage. Accordingly, manufacturing the can closures of this type at a high efficiency cannot be achieved.